Pictured from left to right are Sankha Kahagala-Gamage and David Bernstein who are two Loughborough Grammar School students who have won a national award after designing a life saving vest that can help predict when epileptic fits will occur. (Image: Loughborough Echo)

TWO STUDENTS from Loughborough Grammar School have won a national award after designing a life saving vest that can help predict when epileptic fits will occur.

Sankha Kahagala-Gamage, 16, and David Bernstein, 16 have beaten off competition from over 21,000 students across the country to be crowned Winners of the UK Young Engineer of the Year 2017 title.

Sankha and David’s winning entry was the ‘MediVest’ which is a wearable vest for people with epilepsy that monitors heart rate variability and body temperature to efficiently predict a fit up to eight minutes in advance.

After witnessing an epileptic fit, Sankha teamed up with David to create something that could help save the lives of those with epilepsy.

Once a fit is detected, the vest sends a message to both the wearer’s phone as well as possibly a carer to warn them that they need to seek help.

The pair won the annual Big Bang Competition which is designed to recognise and reward young people’s achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Sankha, from Loughborough, said: “Winning was one of the greatest achievements of our lives.

“It just goes to show if you truly believe in your invention and you put enough work in, you will succeed. I hope the MediVest will inspire the next set of engineers in 2018.”

David, from Quorn, said: “The Big Bang Fair has been an absolute manic couple of days for us – but I’ve loved every second of it! It’s an opportunity to learn about the most amazing sciences and engineering and I’m humbled to be around such amazing minds working to create the newest science and technology.”

Over 600 finalists from across the country were selected to show their ideas at The Big Bang Fair where ten were then shortlisted to pitch Dragon’s Den-style to a panel of high profile judges, including Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, MBE Space scientist and TV presenter, Jason Bradbury, TV presenter and gadget guru and Dr Shini Somara, Mechanical Engineer and TV presenter.

Daljit Kaur, IT teacher at Loughborough Grammar School said: “It is a phenomenal achievement for Sankha and David, as well as the rest of the Loughborough Grammar School, and I am so proud of them.”

Previous winners include young people who have gone on to careers in a range of high profile companies and also the youngest ever entrepreneurs to appear on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.